Chron to the Max

No bemoaning the agonies of list-making this year; there are too many good films to celebrate. Fretting about the strictures imposed by lists seems self-indulgent. The lists here – and more online – offer guideposts to lots of excellent viewing.

Apart from Mad Max: Fury Road, the No. 1 film on our combined critics' Top 10 list, none of the films below are sequels, prequels, reboots, or do-overs. I fear for 2016, however, after Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens raked in a billion dollars in record time. This year's top 10 domestic box-office earners comprise 35% of all ticket sales, according to Variety. That's up 10% from last year. Perhaps reflecting the income inequality in U.S. society, the majority of box-office wealth is increasingly concentrated among the top few. What this likely means for the future is fewer original movies and more knockoffs of proven quantities.

So in the meantime, enjoy the still-fresh 2015 crop. The future promises lots of GMOs.

The Austin Chronicle's Top 10 Films of 2015

1) Mad Max: Fury Road

2) Son of Saul

3) Spotlight

4) Victoria

5) Inside Out

6) TIE: Carol and The Tribe

8) Phoenix

9) The Diary of a Teenage Girl

10) Chi-Raq